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Alumna named Teacher of the Year for excellence in art education

Posted on November 13, 2017

Tricia Erickson, ’05, was recently awarded for excellence in teaching
during her 13-year career as an art educator. She was named the 2017
Teacher of the Year, as well as Secondary Art Educator of the Year,
during the Michigan Art Education Association (MAEA)'s annual Fall
Conference, which took place November 2-5 in Detroit.

Erickson, who recently completed her 10th year of teaching at
Northview High School, said her love for art has been present ever
since she was a shy child because she used it to connect with others.

“I remember my first day of kindergarten and being so nervous,”
Erickson explained. “My mother leaned over and said, ‘Why don't you
draw a picture?’ As soon as I did, I calmed down, and within a few
minutes, another little girl was standing there watching me and
complimenting my drawing. Before I knew it, more kids came over and I
was drawing all kinds of different things to show them.”

Erickson said her goal as an educator is to develop young artists and
to foster an appreciation for art in all students.

“Whether you create art for yourself or for others, putting what you
see down on paper or making an experience come to life is vital to
helping people from different backgrounds come together, and it
increases empathy and understanding,” she explained.

In addition to teaching at Northview High School, Erickson has also
previously served as an adjunct professor at Grand Valley, and taught
at summer enrichment camps through the Grand Rapids Art Museum and
Northview’s summer enrichment program.

After graduating from Grand Valley with a bachelor’s degree in art
education and French, she earned her master’s degree in art education
from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2010.

Erickson was nominated by her colleagues for both her teaching
abilities and for the time she has dedicated volunteering for the MAEA
outside of the classroom. For example, she served as co-chair of the
planning committee for the 2015 MAEA Fall Conference, which was held
in Grand Rapids.

Erickson said presenting at multiple MAEA conferences created a
personal network of art educators from across West Michigan, and she
credits this award to them as well as her family members who support
and encourage her.

“I think what this award means to me is that I have a lot of good
people in my life because I could never do half of the things I do
without them," she said.